Marion Babette Wadsworth Cannon (November 4, 1905[1] – May 29, 1996) was an American poet and civil rights activist in North Carolina.

She held seats on the boards of Johnson C. Smith University and Barber-Scotia College, and was a life member of the NAACP beginning in 1959.

She was named Citizen of the Year at Johnson C. Smith University in 1962,[1] and awarded an honorary doctorate by St. Augustine's College in 1966.

Late in life, she took creative writing classes, and began publishing her poetry,[9] which was collected in three books.

[10] Wadsworth married her second cousin, Martin Luther Cannon Jr., in 1936; in keeping with her unique style, she wore a black and white tweed suit at her wedding.